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LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN — Friday, July 18, 2025
DEVELOPMENTS IN IMMIGRATION POLICY THIS WEEK
Here, we summarize some of the most important recent developments in immigration policy on the federal, legal, state, and local levels.
Federal
Administration Eliminates Bond Access and Dismisses Immigration Judges
On July 8, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a memo noting that the departments of Homeland Security and Justice have “revisited its legal position on detention and release authorities,” thereby restricting access to bond hearings for immigrants in ICE custody. Citing the massive funding increase from the recent reconciliation bill, ICE officials had asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reconsider longstanding policies allowing many immigrants fighting deportation to be released on bond, arguing that the agency will soon have the capacity to detain them indefinitely. The new policy, which ICE acknowledges is “likely to be litigated,” requires all immigrants who entered the U.S. without inspection to be detained for the duration of their deportation proceedings, which can take months or years. While immigrants convicted of murder and other serious crimes were already subject to mandatory detention and Congress had expanded the requirement this year, the new policy extends to longtime residents who have not been convicted of serious offenses.
Moreover, as more individuals face indefinite detention, fewer judges are available to process their cases. On July 11, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) dismissed an additional 17 immigration judges. With about 600 judges now handling a massive backlog of roughly 3.5 million cases, immigration lawyers argue the firings will worsen delays, as it can take up to a year to recruit, hire, and train new immigration court judges. Despite reconciliation funding to raise the number of judges to 800 and hire additional staff, the union which represents immigration judges reports that over 103 judges have either been fired or voluntarily left since the administration took office.
Third-Country Deportations Expand Globally as Notice Periods Shrink to Hours
The Trump administration deported five individuals to the Kingdom of Eswatini on July 15, marking the first deportations to the African nation in the Trump administration’s expanding third-country removal program. The deportations follow the Supreme Court's June decision allowing the practice to resume while the case is litigated. The men, originally from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, and Yemen, are now being held in solitary confinement in Eswatini. Their removal was conducted under a July 9 memo from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons that outlines streamlined procedures for deporting individuals to third-countries, even if they have no ties, when their home nations refuse repatriation. The memo allows deportations in as little as six hours during “exigent circumstances” and permits removals to any partner country that pledges not to torture individuals “without the need for further procedures.”
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials defended the deportations to Eswatini despite concerns about the country's poor human rights record, citing the men's criminal records. Human rights advocates warn that the accelerated timeline and expanding scope of third-country deportations prevent individuals from accessing due process and increase abuse risks in receiving countries. The administration is actively recruiting additional African nations as deportation partners, with officials pressuring governments to accept deportees from other regions as the practice scales beyond its previous use in El Salvador and South Sudan.
On July 15, Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL-7) and a group of bipartisan legislators introduced the DIGNITY Act of 2025, marking the third iteration of legislation first introduced in 2022. The bill would allow undocumented immigrants who have been in the U.S. since December 31, 2020 to apply for a seven-year legal status, clearing them to work and travel after passing background checks and paying back taxes. “The Dignity Act of 2025 is a revolutionary bill that offers the solution to our immigration crisis: secure the border, stop illegal immigration, and provide an earned opportunity for long-term immigrants to stay here and work,"said Rep. Salazar, emphasizing "no amnesty, no handouts, no citizenship.” The legislation is funded through restitution payments and application fees, requiring no taxpayer dollars. Republican co-sponsors emphasized economic concerns driving the legislation, with Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) citing employer struggles to fill jobs and Rep. David Valadao (R-CA-13) arguing the bill will “strengthen our economy.”
The bill's introduction coincides with notable shifts in public opinion on immigration policy. Gallup data show that Americans have grown markedly more positive toward immigration over the past year, with the share wanting immigration reduced dropping from 55% in 2024 to 30% today, while a record-high 79% of U.S. adults now say immigration is a good thing for the country. These shifts reverse a four-year trend of rising concern about immigration that began in 2021 and reflect changes among all major party groups. The data reveal that public concerns about immigration have moderated significantly from peak levels, with Americans increasingly distinguishing between border security enforcement and the status of long-term residents already integrated into communities and the workforce.
Gallup polling also indicates that the “surge” in Americans naming immigration as a top national problem has substantially decreased, while CBS News polling shows growing majorities in both parties now support a path to legal status for long-term undocumented residents and enhanced worker protections. The data reveal that public concerns about immigration have evolved over the course of the second Trump administration.
Legal
Federal Judge Orders Administration to Halt "Roving"Immigration Raids in Los Angeles
On July 11, U.S. District Judge Frimpong, ruled that the Trump administration’s immigration arrests in Los Angeles and their denial of detainees’ right to consult with a lawyer violated the Constitution. As a result, she issued two temporary restraining orders that apply in Los Angeles and six other California counties. One order prohibits immigration agents from stopping and detaining individuals based solely on one or more of the following factors: race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or English with an accent, being at a particular location, or the type of work they perform. The ruling indicates these are impermissible factors that cannot be the basis for an immigration agent’s reasonable suspicion —the legal bar necessary to detain someone. Judge Frimpong rejected the government’s argument that it was not relying on race but a “totality of circumstances” approach to stopping individuals, writing that the government’s reliance on factors like an individual’s occupation, like as a car wash attendant or day laborer, are “no more indicative of illegal presence in the country than of legal presence.” The other order required the federal government to provide detainees with access to legal counsel.
The government quickly appealed Judge Frimpong’s decision, asking an appeals court to allow their unrestricted raids across Southern California to continue. The government argued that her orders amounted to “judicial takeover,” and were “single-handedly ‘restructur[ing] the operations’ of federal immigration enforcement. Legal experts state that the government’s arguments are unorthodox and are unlikely to succeed.
Separately, amid the legal setback, the Department of Defense announced on July 15 that it would recall 2,000 of the 4,000 National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles in response to immigration protests last month.
Court Establishes Case-by-Case Review Process for Refugee Resettlement
A federal district court in Washington has ordered the administration to restart refugee processing and create a case-by-case review system for thousands of refugees whose travel to the U.S. was cancelled after December 1, 2024. The ruling in Pacito v. Trump comes as the case's namesake plaintiff, a Congolese refugee who sold all his belongings while waiting at a transit center before his flights were cancelled, arrived in North Carolina on July 10 under a court order exempting him from the administration's refugee ban. “I feel like I'm blessed. I was actually hopeless,” Pacito said upon arrival, adding that “the minute the court said they're going to process my case again, I was reborn.”
The broader court framework requires the government to identify and contact all “review-eligible” refugees by July 21 and notify them of relief procedures by July 28. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michelle L. Peterson has been appointed as a neutral arbiter to recommend rulings on individual reliance claims. Three categories received a rebuttable presumption of protection: refugees whose travel was imminent on January 20, unaccompanied refugee minors, and Afghan evacuees held at Camp As Sayliyah. The ruling arrives as the State Department implements an $800 million reduction in refugee assistance and deep staff cuts, which could complicate compliance with the court's tight deadlines.
The decision also comes as an appellate court has paused the administration's effort to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for Afghan nationals until July 21, highlighting broader judicial scrutiny of the administration's actions targeting humanitarian pathways.
BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED
It’s challenging to keep up with the deluge of proposed legislation in the 119th Congress. So, every week, we round up federal legislative proposals that have recently been introduced and that are relevant to immigration policy.
State Accountability for Federal Deployment Costs Act
The bill would require any state to reimburse the federal government for costs incurred when federal military forces are deployed in response to civil disturbances or security threats caused by the state's noncooperation federal immigration enforcement. This is the companion bill to H.R.4483.
Sponsored by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) (1 cosponsor)
07/16/2025 Introduced by Sen. Blackburn
07/16/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services
Preventing Intelligence Gathering from Foreign Adversaries Act
The bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to include subjection to a foreign intelligence security law as a ground of inadmissibility and deportability.
Sponsored by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) (0 cosponsors)
07/16/2025 Introduced by Sen. Scott
07/16/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
The Constitutional Citizenship Clarification Act
The bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to specify that no child is eligible for birthright citizenship if their parents are unlawfully present in the U.S., present in the U.S. for diplomatic purposes, or engaged in a hostile operation against the U.S.
Sponsored by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) (3 cosponsors)
07/15/2025 Introduced by Sen. Cotton
07/15/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
Protect and Respect ICE Act
The bill would double federal penalties for assaulting, resisting, or impeding an officer or employee of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) (0 cosponsors)
07/14/2025 Introduced by Sen. Schmitt
07/14/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
DIGNITY Act of 2025
The bill would strengthen border security, provide undocumented individuals with an opportunity to obtain legal status if they meet certain requirements, and update aspects of the U.S. legal immigration system. The Forum's summary is linked here.
Sponsored by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27) (21 cosponsors)
07/15/2025 Introduced by Rep. Salazar
07/15/2025 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security, Ways and Means, Transportation and Infrastructure, Education and Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, and Armed Services
No Cages in the Everglades Act
The bill would prohibit the operation and funding of an immigration detention facility in the Everglades and require more enhanced access, public data, and Congressional oversight in such facilities.
Sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25) (7 cosponsors)
07/17/2025 Introduced by Rep. Wasserman Schultz
07/17/2025 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security
State Accountability for Federal Deployment Costs Act
This is the companion bill to S.2311.
Sponsored by Rep. Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX-19) (3 cosponsors)
07/17/2025 Introduced by Rep. Arrington
07/17/2025 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and Armed Services
Stop ICE from Kidnapping US Citizens Act
The bill would prohibit the use of federal funds made available to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for detaining U.S. citizens or transporting such citizens outside the U.S. during civil immigration enforcement activities.
Sponsored by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7) (32 cosponsors)
07/16/2025 Introduced by Rep. Jayapal
07/16/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
Excluding Illegal Aliens from Medicaid Act
The bill would require immediate changes to Medicaid relating to noncitizen eligibility and payments to Medicaid expansion states that provide health care to certain noncitizens. This is the companion bill to S.2244.
Sponsored by Rep. W. Gregory Steube (R-FL-17) (0 cosponsors)
07/14/2025 Introduced by Rep. Steube
07/14/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR
The U.S. Senate will be in session Monday, July 21, through Friday, July 25, while the House of Representatives will meet Monday, July 21, through Thursday, July 24.
UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS
Here, we round up congressional hearings and markups happening in the field or in Washington relevant to immigration policy.
Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at 2:30 PM ET (Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety)
Location: 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.
Witnesses: TBA*
Date: Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 2:00 PM ET (House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement)
Location: 2247 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
Witnesses: TBA*
GOVERNMENT REPORTS
Reports by bodies such as the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Research Service, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General provide invaluable information on immigration policy and practice. Here, we give brief summaries of new immigration-related reports, with links to the resources themselves in case you want to learn more.
The memo explains that the Supreme Court's June 27, 2025 decision in Trump v. CASA, Inc. and identifies 34 cases where nationwide injunctions were issued between January 20, 2025 and June 27, 2025 during the second Trump Administration. The memo further clarifies that the decision arose from challenges to President Trump's Birthright Citizenship Executive Order and leaves open several avenues for litigants to seek universal relief through Administrative Procedure Act challenges, class actions, and state-led litigation, while Congress considers various legislative proposals to further regulate or limit nationwide injunctions.
SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES
The Forum is constantly publishing new policy-focused resources that engage with some of the most topical issues around immigration today. Here are a few that are particularly relevant this week:
Our bill summary details the main provisions and key takeaways from the newly introduced Dignity Act of 2025. The bill would strengthen border security, provide undocumented individuals with an opportunity to obtain legal status if they meet certain requirements, and update aspects of the U.S. legal immigration system.
Thee fact sheet examines the Trump administration's June 27, 2025, decision to terminate Haiti TPS, despite the State Department's own "Do Not Travel"advisory acknowledging ongoing dangerous conditions in the country and the ongoing humanitarian crisis. This termination, which provided just 67 days' notice and was temporarily halted by a federal judge on July 1, threatens to remove productive, taxpaying community members from key U.S. economic sectors.
Our updated explainer details the immigration provisions of the budget reconciliation bill signed into law by President Trump on July 4. The bill transforms America’s immigration system through significantly increased funding for both border security and interior immigration enforcement, including dramatically expanded detention and deportation operations. Moreover, the reconciliation package introduces fees for immigrants seeking humanitarian protection, imposes a tax on remittances, and restricts federal benefit access for mixed-status families and unauthorized individuals.
Our explainer examines how U.S. immigration detention and custody facilities, operated by agencies like ICE, CBP, and ORR are governed by a patchwork of constitutional, statutory, and agency-specific standards. It highlights ongoing challenges such as inadequate oversight, prolonged detentions, and insufficient protections for vulnerable populations, underscoring the need for stronger scrutiny as detention capacity could expand dramatically due to funding included in reconciliation.
*As of publication (7/18/25 at 1:30PM EST)
This Bulletin is not intended to be comprehensive. Please contact Nicci Mattey, Senior Policy & Advocacy Associate at the National Immigration Forum, with questions, comments, and suggestions for additional items to be included. Nicci can be reached at [email protected]. Thank you.
